Phonograph needle



Sept. 14 1926.

G. H. SCULLY PHONOGRAPH NEEDLE Filed Oct. 5, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 //vVENTO/E.

Gcorge 6 Saw/y.

Sept. 14 1926.

G. H. SCULLY PHONOGRAPH NEEDLE Filed Oct. 3, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 2jfforn g lit) Patented Sept. 14, 1926. I

uurruu STATES GEORGE H. SCULLY, LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

PHONOGRAPH NEEDLE.

Application filed. October 3, 1924. Serial No. 741,503.

My invention relates to phonograph needles and has for its principalobject to provide a needle capable of playing several thousand recordswithout having to be replaced.

Another object of the invention is to provide means whereby the qualityof sound produced by a needle may be regulated as desired.

Another object of the invention is to provide means whereby such aneedle, having been once adjusted, will not accidentally changeadjustment.

My invention contemplates the use of a hollow needle and a long coil ofwire having the playing end fed through the hollow needle to provide aconstantly renewable point. It is therefore another object of theinvention to provide simple and dependable means for accurately andpositively feeding the wire as required.

Another object of the invention is to provide simple storage means forholding a long length of wire.-

Another object of the invention is to provide means whereby the wire maybe advanced or retracted with ease, while the phonograph to which thedevice is attached is in operation.

Another object of the invention is to provide a simple and inexpensivedevice for holding and feeding wire to a hollow needle, which device maybe quickly attached to a phonograph by an unskilled person without theuse of tools.

Still other objects and advantages of my invention will appearhereinafter and will be better understood by virtue of the order oftheir occurrence.

T have illustrated by the accompanying drawings two embodiments of myinvention.

In the said drawings,

Figure 1, is a rear elevation of a diaphragm holder of a phonograph,showing the preferred embodiment of my invention attached thereto.

Figure 2 is a view in side elevation of the parts shown in Fig. 1.

Figure 3 is a view on enlarged scale as seen on a line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Figure 4 is a view on enlarged scale as seen on a line 4-4 of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a view in section seen on a line 5"5 of Figure 3.

Figure 6 is an enlarged perspective View of a part hereinafter known asthe needle element.

Figures 7 and 8 respectively are views similar to Figs. 1 and 2respectively, of a modified form of my invention.

Figure 9 is a perspective view of a magazlne employed in the modifiedform of the invention.

Fi re 10 is a view seen on a line 10-10 of Fig. 7.

Figure 11 is a view of the parts of this form of the invention whichcorrespond to the parts shown in Fig. 5.

In the drawings, 9 indicates the frame for holding the usual diaphragm(not shown); said frame being the type commonly employed in phonographsand including a collar 10, whereby it is detachably secured to the tonearm 11, as by set screws 12. The diaphragm is provided with the usualvibratory lever 13, having a needle socket 14.

My improved type of needle guide 15, which I employ in both embodiments,is provided with a polygonal shank 16, removably fitted in the socket14. The needle is provided with a hollow wire-receiving end 17. A coilof wire 18 is provided, having one end fed through the hollow end of theneedle so that the protruding portion 19 thereof forms a constantlyrenewable needle point.

In the embodiment shown in Fig. 1, the mechanism indicated by thenumeral 20 is employed for holding the coil of wire and for providingmeans whereby the wire may be advanced or retracted as required. Themechanism includes a frame or split collar 21, adapted to be fittedaround the collar 10. A set screw 22 provides for tightening this splitcollar so that it becomes securely clamped relative to the tone-arm.Integral with the clamp or split collar, an arm 23 is provided. When thedevice is properly attached to the collar 10, the arm extends outwardand downward toward the needle guide. At the lowermost part, the arm hasa portion 23, which turns at right angle to the arm and extendshorizontally outward. From this portion, another portion 23 extends atright angle to the portion 23, along the same horizontal plane on whichthe portion 23 extends.

At the lower end of the arm I provide a hardened knurled friction roller24, which is fixed to a short shaft 25, carrying a knob 26. Shaft 25extends from the arm at a right angle to portion 23, and parallel toportion 23 The edge of the knob is provided with a plurality of spacedindentations 27. A flat spring 28, secured to the arm by a split pin 29,has its outer end 3,0 disposed to engage one of the indentations. Itwill be apparent now that turning of the knob will result in thehardened friction roller 24 being revolved accordingly. Coacting withthe friction roller, I provide a spring pressed plunger 31. Said plungeris freely reciprocable in a small cylinder 32, which forms substantiallyan integral part of the arm 23. Said cylinder is provided internallywith a spring 33, adapted to hold the outer end of the plunger forciblyagainst the friction roller. The plunger at the outer end is providedwith a diametrically extending slot or groove 34. In assembling andadjusting the device, the wire is fed between the roller and the plungerso that it reposes in the groove. It will be apparent now that uponturning the knurled knob the roller will act to frictionally engage thewire and advance it quite positively. Reverse turning of the knob willresult in the wire being retracted.

The coil of wire is held by a revoluble s 001 35. While it is notapparent from the rawings. it is nevertheless a fact that the coil ofwire is so wound that it tends to form in a coil of smaller diameterthan the diameter of the perimeter of the spool. Then the coil isrewound upon the spool and has a tendency to hug the perimeter thereofquite closely. Such winding of the wire also gives to the coil atendency to take up, or draw back, an slack that may occur between thespool and the needle. The coil of wire, in itself, acts as a spring andis attached at one end 36 to the spool.

In the operation of this form of the invention the wire is advanced sothat it projects beyond the hollow needle guide a suitable distance. Thefarther the wires end projects beyond the needle guide, the softer willbe the sound produced by the phonograph. In regulating the wire to obtain the correctquality of sound, the operator has only to turn the knobin the correct direction. This may be accomplished while the phonographis in operation; which is a decided advantage. The gage of wire shouldbe such that it rides in the grooves of the record (not shown) withoutdistorting or enlarging said grooves. The flat spring engaging theindentations in the knob holds the roller firmly in adjusted position.and the friction grip on the wire provided by the joint action of theroller and plunger holds the wire firmly in ad justed position. As thewire wears away it may be advanced as required. If advanced too far, itis as readily retracted by reversing the knob. Upon such reversing, thesclf-rewinding tendency of the coil results in all slack being taken upas fast as it occurs.

In the second form of the invention, the split collar or clamp isprovided, as well as the arm thereof, the friction roller, knurled knob,spring pressed plunger and the like; all of which parts are similarlynumbered throughout the drawings. This form of the invention difl'ersprimarily in the winding of the coil and in the means for holding andregulating same in its travel to the needle.

Said means include a tubular magazine 40. Adjacent the lower end of themagazine a slot 41 is provided, so that it may be fitted over aprojecting screw 42, carried by the arm. Another screw 43 provides forthe upper part of the magazine being secured to the arm. Obviously, themagazine is readily removed from the arm for replenishing. However, onecoil of wire consisting of a few lineal inches is sufficient to playseveral thousand records.

One of the salient features of this form of the invention, is that thecoil 44, in this embodiment, is wound so that its coils are spaced apartappreciably, and the coil is freely inserted in the tubular magazine andis not connected thereto at either end. The end of the wire, remote fromthe playing end, is provided with a loop 45. This loop provides a meansfor manually rotating the coil within the magazine, should the necessityarise.

Another salientfeature of this form of the invention resides in a tongue46, which in this embodiment is an integral part of the magazine. Thistongue preferably is extended outwardly in a spiral of slight angularpitch and leads to a point close to where the roller and plunger arepositioned. Small wire guiding loops 47 are suitably spaced along thistongue. that the portion of the wire lying along said tongue, havingbeen normally wound in a spiral, has a natural tendency to coil back tothe original form in which it was disposed before being drawn from themagazine. In fact when the wire is drawn out of the coil a shortdistance and is subsequently released, the portion withdrawn, eitherreturns of its own accord or else the slightest force will serve toreturn it.

The operation of this form of the invention is similar to the previouslydescribed It will be apparent now I form, where the matter of adjustingfor wear and tone is concerned. Upon reverse turning ofthe knob thereverse thrust is given the wire and it is quite forcibly returned tothe magazine. As the wire returns to the magazine it again arrangesitself in coil form.

'It will be apparent now that I have provided a simple, flexible andself locking means for advancing and retracting wire through a hollowneedle guide to provlde for wear and tone adjustment, and while I haveshown and described two specific embodiments, I do not limit myself toany specific construction or arrangement of parts, and may alter theconstruction and arrangement of parts as I desire, or as occasionrequires, without enlarging thescope of my invention, within theappended claims.

I claim,

1. In a device of the character described, a vertical rigid arm adaptedfor attachment in fixed relation to the tone arm of a phonograph, ahorizontal friction roller revolubly mounted in the lower end of saidarm, said arm having an extension providing a portion extending at aright angle to the roller and another portion extending parallel withthe roller, a cylinder carried by the last named portion extendingtoward the roller with its axis parallel to the first named portion ofthe arm and at a right angle to the axis of the roller, a plunger insaid cylinder, and a spring in said cylinder behind said plunger actingto constantly urge theplungerou twardly of the cylinder to maintain saidplunger in contact with the roller.

2. In a device of the character described, a vertical rigid arm adaptedfor attachment in fixed relation to the tone arm of a phonograph, ahorizontal friction roller revolubly mounted in the lower end of saidarm, sald arm having an extension providing a portion extending at aright angle to the roller and another portion extending parallel withthe roller, a cylinder carried by the last named portion extendingtoward the roller with its axis parallel to the first named-portion ofthe arm and at a right angle to the axis of the roller, a plunger insaid cylinder, and a springin said cylinder behind said plunger actingto constantly urge the plunger outwardly of the cylinder to maintainsaid plunger in contact with the roller, said plunger being providedwith'a fiat face adjacent said roller, a wire magazine atached to saidarm, a coil of wire in said magazine, an end of said wire passingdownward from the magazine and between the roller and plunger face saidplunger face being provided with a shallow wire guiding groove acrossits face.

3. In a device of the character described, a vertical rigid arm adaptedfor attachement in fixed relation to the tone arm of a phonograph, ahorizontal friction roller 'revolubly mounted in the lower end of saidarm, said arm having an extension providing a portion extending at aright angle to the roller and another portion extending parallel with,the roller, a cylinder carried by the last named portion extendingtoward the roller with its axis parallel to the first named portion ofthe arm and at a right angle to the axis of the roller, a plunger insaid cylinder, and a spring in said cylinder behind said plunger actingto vconstantly urge the plunger outwardly of the cylinder to maintainsaid plunger in contact with the roller, the plunger being free to turnon its axis in the cylinder; said plunger being provided with a flatface adjacent said roller, a wire magazine attached to said arm, a coilof wire in said magazine; an end of said wire passing downward from themagazine and between the roller and plunger face; said plunger facebeing provided with a shallow wire guiding groove across its face.

4. In a device of the character described,

a vertical rigid arm adapted for attachment in fixed relation to a tonearm of a phonograph, a horizontal friction roller revolubly mounted on alower part of said arm, a cylinder disposed with. its axis at rightangle v to the axis of the roller and on substantially the same plane;said cylinder having an open end directed toward said roller, a plungerin said cylinder, a spring in said cylinder behind said plunger actingto constantly urge the plunger outwardly of the cylinder to maintainsaid plunger in contact with the roller, an extension to the said arm towhich said cylinder is attached; the spring pressed plunger and theroller being adapted to coact to advance or retract a wire passingtherebetween upon rotary movement of said roller, a horizonalshaft fordriving the" roller, passing and terminating in a knob on the outside ofsaid arm, a wire magazine secured to the inside of said arm above and insubstantially vertical alignment with that end of the plunger which isadjacent the roller,'a coil of wire carried by saidmagazine extendingfrom the magazine downwardly and passing between the plunger and roller,and a spring carried on the outside of said arm and bearing on theperimeter of the knurled disc. c

5. In a device of the character described, avert-ical rigid arm'adaptedfor attachment in fixed relation to a tone'arm of a phonograph, ahorizontal friction roller revolubly mounted on a lower part of saidarm, a cylinder disposed with its axis at a right angle to the axis ofthe roller and on substantially the same plane; said cylinder having anopen end directed toward said roller, a plunger in said cylinder, aspring in said cylinder behind said plunger actingto constantly urge theplunger outwardly of the cylinder to maintain said plunger in contactwith the roller, an extension to the said arm to which said cylinder Iis attached; the spring pressed plunger and the roller being adapted tocoact to advance or retract a wire passing therebetween upon rotarymovement of said roller, a horizontal shaft for driving the roller,passing through the arm and terminating in a knob on the outside of saidarm a tubular member detachably secured vertically to said, arm on theinside thereof, an integral tongue extending from said tubular member ina downwardly ran ing helical path of increasing helical pitc1downwardly, a plurality of wire guiding loops spaced along said tongiie,said tongue terminating immediately above the said face .of the plunger.

6. In combination, a tone arm, a reproduoer havinga collar fitted aroundsaid tone arm, a needle socket member carried by said reproducer, aneedle guide in said socket member provided with an aperture, a clamfitted around said collar, a rigidly depen ing arm to said clamp, wireadvancing means carried at the lower end of said arm adapted to feedwire through said aperture in the needle guide, and a wire containingtube detachably secured to said arm adjacent said wire feedlng means.

GEORGE H. SCULLY.

